Rising Star 19 Science Fiction Convention at BSC, October 22-23

(Bluefield)—Science fiction, fantasy, technology and the paranormal all come together October 22-23 at Rising Star 19, southern West Virginia's only science fiction convention. The event, which opens Friday night at 6:00 p.m. and runs to midnight, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to midnight will be held in the Harris-Jefferson Student Center at Bluefield State College. Membership is $5.00 for non-BSC individuals, and free to BSC students, faculty and staff with identification. Additionally, a donation of two pounds of non-perishable food items will get attendees a $1.00 discount off membership.

Guests for this year's event include the award-winning Bluefield State College Robotics Team, who will be displaying their latest projects and discussing recent innovations in the field. Featured guest Cheralyn Lambeth works in the fields of costume and prop design and paranormal investigation, as well as being an author. Art guest Ashley Holohan is a popular anthropomorphic artist has been a regular face at cons in the Mid-Atlantic and is now making a name for herself in the region surrounding her and husband Ed's recent move to the Chicago area. Keith Brinegar, performing as White Plectrum has been a regular face at conventions throughout the southeast with his unique blend of country, folk and "Filk", or parody songs. Additionally, trance music by Virginia Beach's Procyon 5 has been added to the Rising Star repertoire. New author Dieter Warringhouse will also have his first release, "The Last War" available for sale.

A number of local and not-so-local organizations will be featured as presenters throughout the weekend, including the International Star Trek Fan Organization Starfleet, represented by Gastonia, North Carolina's USS Dakota chapter, and of course, Bluefield's own USS Yeager. Star Wars fan organization the Imperial 501st's Garrison Carida will be in attendance as well, and "Meet and Greet" sessions for both organizations are scheduled. Tazewell County's Black Diamond Paranormal Society will be discussing some of their recent investigations, and the field of paranormal investigation in general. Invited, but not confirmed as of this writing were VTSFFC, the science fiction and fantasy club at Virginia Tech, as well as the Society of Anthropomorphics at Virginia Tech.

Activities scheduled throughout the weekend include trailers for upcoming genre films, SF/fantasy oriented music videos, independent films, anime, tabletop and roleplaying games, video games, and panels and workshops. Other items of interest include a dealers' area, art show and auction, costume call, live performances by both White Plectrum and Procyon 5, and a collectibles auction.

Profits from Rising Star go to support Yeager's numerous public service projects, including, but not limited to the Bluefield Union Mission's Christmas Charities, maintenance of the M-41 "Bulldog" tank on display in Bluefield City Park, support of the Downtown Bluefield Fair, including the construction of two cars for the "Downhill Derby", and emergency donations to other organizations as needed and possible. Yeager's primary long-term project is the establishment of a "Jonathan David Miller Memorial Scholarship", in the memory of a long-standing member of the group who was also a graduate of Bluefield State College in the 1970s.